adidas announces Jersey’s for the 2018 World Cup

adidas Football today revealed the home kits which will be worn by adidas federations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM. Each jersey takes inspiration from past shirt designs but brought into the 21st century with progressive tooling and innovation.

Juergen Rank, Senior Design Director said, “adidas has created so many products, innovations and looks through the decades which became true icons in the football world. We want to celebrate those icons in the world of today.

The fans feel the same way, they have the desire for authenticity and progression. They want something they immediately can identify with but at the same time it needs to contain the latest innovations and technologies of today. We bring the needs for the players and fans together, the needs for on pitch and off pitch, the needs for the stadium and the streets.”

The new home kit for FIFA World Cup holders Germany is a modern interpretation of one of the country’s most famous jerseys worldwide, the iconic 1990 shirt. The new jersey builds on this classic design with an improved and reworked performance silhouette featuring dropped shoulder cut lines. It’s constructed of a two-fabric component collar with the words “Die Mannschaft” on the reverse of the neck. A gold World Cup winner badge features on the front of the jersey and a special sign-off on the inside of the collar pays homage to the link between the new kit and the kit of the 90s.

What we think: it’s ok, we expected a little more. We like the ones with red and gold more

Host nation Russia’s home kit is a modern interpretation of the jersey worn by the Soviet Union during the 1988 Olympic Games, where the team won Gold. The red jersey features solid white lines running from the the back across the arms and onto the chest, offering a modern and bold look. A sign-off on the back of the neck features the Russian flag, the Russian eagle and the wording “ВместеКПобеде”, translating to “Victory-Bound as One”.

What we think: it’s boring

The new Argentina home kit is a celebration of the AFA’s 125 year anniversary. The kit pays tribute to the anniversary by subtly incorporating laurels, a key element of the Argentinian coat of arms and the AFA crest, into the iconic blue and white stripes. The laurels are executed in a modern pixel optic to offer a contemporary look. The jersey features an embossed sign-off combined of laurels and the number 125 There are two gold stars above the badge in celebration of the country’s two FIFA World Cup wins.

What we think: it’s ok, no fireworks here, interesting that they decided to go with only 3 stripes (blue)

The Spain home shirt pays homage to one of the country’s most famous shirts, the jersey worn at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. It features a dynamic line graphic design consisting of diamonds in red, yellow and blue. The diamonds represent the speed, energy and style of football that’s become so associated with the national team.

What we think: so far the best jersey adidas has released for the World Cup

A contemporary take on their most iconic home shirt from the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, the new Colombia jersey features a blue and red graphic design on the side of the kit highlighting the Colombian flag colours whilst reinterpreting and referencing the design from the 90s. The shirt features a sign-off on the back of the neck which reads “UNIDOS POR UN PAIS” (United as one Nation).

What we think: we like it, yellow is always vibrant and alive, nice colour splashes on the sides

The home jersey for Japan takes inspiration from handcrafted Japanese Apparel Design. The graphic mimics the traditional craftsmanship of Sashiko stitching technique, which is made by white rough threads on indigo dyed base. The kit features a new shade of blue with hues of red and white in representation of the national flag. A sign-off on the reverse of the neck area celebrates important moments of JFA’s football history.

What we think: it’s different, little bit of a polka dot overdose perhaps but nice and different from all the rest

Inspired by designs from the early 1990’s, the Mexico home jersey is the perfect transition from the stadium to the street. The jersey is a base green with a graphic running from the hem towards the chest . The detail to the neck reads “Soy Mexico” which completes the visual commitment to Mexico.